COLUMN: Spencer Lawton: Troy Davis fairly convicted, not 'railroaded'

In this Jan. 16, 1991 file photo, Troy Anthony Davis enters a courtroom for a hearing while on trail for the shooting death of off-duty police officer Mark MacPhail. Death penalty appeals from condemned inmates usually hinge on technicalities, legal hiccups and procedural errors. But this week a federal judge will hear evidence from a death row inmate convicted of gunning down a Savannah police officer that will center on a more fundamental question: Is he innocent? Davis has drawn a considerable amount of worldwide support, from the Vatican to the European Union, from President Jimmy Carter to Pope Benedict XVI. The NAACP has launched an "I am Troy" campaign, and a Change.org petition asking the five-member Georgia pardons board to spare his life has attracted more than 100,000 signatures. (AP Photo/The Savannah Morning News, File)

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As the lead prosecutor in the trial of Troy Davis, I can say that the case has been badly mismanaged by one of our most important institutions, one impressed with a profound public trust.

And while the criminal justice system isn’t irretrievably broken, it is very badly damaged. People are right to wonder how the system could put to death a man with so much doubt remaining. How is this to be explained?

There are two Troy Davis cases. Davis I was decided on the facts in courts of law, where he was fairly convicted and sentenced and his appeals were denied.

Davis II is still under way as a public relations campaign where his innocence is proclaimed on the strength of a “doubt” that is manufactured and false, the overarching purpose being to defeat the death penalty. The mantra has become “no physical evidence, and seven out of nine eyewitnesses recanted.” Neither is true. There was physical (ballistic) evidence and persuasive circumstantial evidence.

Some of the so-called recantations were not recantations at all. Others were flatly unbelievable. Still others were subsequently abandoned by the defense in a federal evidentiary hearing.

Still, for 15 years nearly every news report of the Davis case continued to state, as if it were fact, that seven of nine eye witnesses recanted. This without mentioning that the “recantations” had been thoroughly discredited. No wonder doubt flourished.

In Davis I, he was tried before a jury of seven blacks and five whites for the cold-blooded, midnight murder of a police officer who was rushing to the aid of a homeless man being beaten in a bus station parking lot. The trial was open and transparent. It was grounded in fact. It was contemporaneous with the crime; the witnesses’ recollections were still fresh.

Under vigorous cross examination each witness was challenged to recant his immediate testimony, given under oath: “Was he coerced by police? Was the scene chaotic? Was the lighting poor?” Ballistics evidence established that shell casings from an event earlier in the day (in which Davis was later convicted of shooting another man in the face) matched casings recovered from the scene of Officer Mark MacPhail’s murder.

Circumstantial evidence included the fact that Davis immediately fled to Atlanta and had to be coaxed back by his family. The jury took only a few hours to find, unanimously, that Davis was guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. They took only a few more hours to impose, unanimously, the death penalty.

The murder occurred in 1989. The trial took place in 1991. The Georgia Supreme Court upheld the conviction and sentence in 1993. The U.S. Supreme Court then denied Davis’ application for review. In any ordinary case, that would be pretty much the end of it.

But this has been no ordinary case.

Having lost on facts and law, Davis’ advocates launched a campaign of misinformation, outright lies, manipulation and appeals to passion which was to last for 15 years. I have come to think of it as The Doubt Campaign.

What compounds its dishonesty is that they used the courts as its vehicle. If we have created our courts as a dispassionate forum for the discovery of truth and disposition of justice, this campaign has been a fraud upon those courts and, by extension, upon fundamental precepts of our civilization.

This is the principal feature of Davis II.

As the foundation of Davis II, the lawyers procured statements of “recantation” from various witnesses who had testified at trial. When those were legally unavailing, the unambiguously anti-death penalty campaign began in earnest. So let’s look at the recantations and the court system’s reaction to them.

Post-conviction witness recantations are usually obtained like this: Gently and with empathy, the witness is reminded of his shared responsibility for the death penalty in the first place, the possibility of being mistaken way back then, the long incarceration already suffered, the worthiness of the since-mellowed defendant, the let’s-move-on sentiment in the community, the agreement of the other witnesses, and the fact that now he (alone?) can prevent the state from killing this man.

All the witness need do is sign a piece of paper.

Obviously this would be coercive. Which would make it doubly ironic where the recantations cite coercion by police. Perhaps the lawyers didn’t do it this way. Yet they’ve never volunteered to tell us, to establish the reliability of inherently suspect statements and our truth-seeking media apparently never thought to ask either the lawyers or the witnesses how it was done.

I know personally of one witness who recounted having been hounded mercilessly for such a recantation.

In contrast to the testimony that convicted Davis, these statements were made outside of court; in what secret corners they were given, with what incentives or motives, under what duress, at whose initiative, we will never know. We are asked to accept them at face value.

Incredibly, thousands do. Many even give more weight to the recantations than to sworn testimony in court either at trial or in a 2010 hearing (described below) where they fell apart.

What is their face value? Here’s an example.

There were four people who were eyewitnesses in the sense of specifically identifying Davis in testimony at trial as the man they saw shoot the officer. One of these refused to give a recantation; one gave an affidavit of recantation which she would not swear to and which did not in fact contradict her trial testimony; another one’s “recantation” didn’t actually contradict his trial testimony; and the fourth gave a direct recantation, but when she was later available to testify in person at the 2010 hearing, Davis’ lawyers declined to call her as a witness — she would have been subject to cross examination.

(Other witnesses had identified Davis in terms of the shooter’s clothing, participation in the original altercation with the homeless man, or subsequent confessions made by Davis. It’s noteworthy that these categories of witnesses don’t fall readily within the scope of the “unreliability of eyewitness testimony” we’ve heard so much about from the academy recently.)

This process of recantation-collecting didn’t begin until five years after the trial and then continued for seven more years. Leave aside why it took so long; when they got these statements, did Davis’ lawyers run immediately back to the trial court urgently pleading for a new trial on the basis of this “newly discovered evidence”? No, they didn’t.

Not until eight days before the first scheduled execution in 2007. The lawyers clearly saw their recantations as being more valuable as a device for delay than as substantive exoneration.

Davis’ recantation evidence has had 14 appearances before six courts, including five trips to the U.S. Supreme Court and at three clemency hearings. Some “railroad.” Surely this case ranks among the most thoroughly scrutinized criminal cases, during its pendency, in modern times.

In 2009 the U.S. Supreme Court, in an extremely rare move, ordered the federal court in Savannah to conduct an evidentiary hearing in which Davis was to have the opportunity to present any and all witnesses he might choose, to give live testimony. Let them recant, blame someone else ... anything he wished.

In 2010 that hearing was held. His lawyers made a mockery of the opportunity. They presented four of their six recantation witnesses (the seventh, who wouldn’t swear to hers had died). Judge William Moore carefully analyzed all of their testimony and the out of court recantations, individually and taken together. He concluded that Davis’ case was “largely smoke and mirrors” and that “Mr. Davis is not innocent.”

As an example of the cynicism and manipulation that have infected Davis II since the beginning, there is the “blame Coles” diversion, which also came to a head at the 2010 hearing.

Sylvester Coles is a black male who was involved in the altercation with the homeless man in the parking lot. Davis’ supporters — including those who have chosen to make the case a racial issue (“stop the legal lynching!”) — while dismissing the weight of evidence against Davis, have sought to condemn Coles on far less evidence.

Eventually they found a woman who was purportedly willing to say Coles confessed to her. At the 2010 hearing they brought her in as a witness, but they manipulated the proceedings in a way guaranteed to make her testimony inadmissible. Thus the lawyers got the best of both worlds: without subjecting her to cross examination they could tell the world about their valuable exculpatory witness whom the court wouldn’t hear.

There were three other witnesses who implicated Coles at least marginally. The lawyers only bought in two for the 2010 hearing. One was the woman just mentioned. The other had a record of 76 arrests since 1990 for cocaine, obstruction of justice and tampering with evidence and took the occasion to tell his third version of the facts regarding Coles.

Davis filed an application to appeal the judge’s 172-page ruling to the U.S. Supreme Court. It was rejected. He then had his final review by the bi-racial state Board of Pardons and Paroles, which denied clemency. The bi-racial Georgia Supreme Court unanimously rejected an appeal.

Hours before the execution, Davis’ lawyers filed even more incredible claims: they submitted to a

Superior Court judge a second test of the ballistics, performed in 2007, which they claimed refuted the earlier test in evidence at trial. In fact, it confirmed the first results, and the judge so ruled. The U.S. Supreme Court declined to grant a stay.

On Sept. 21, 2011, 22 years after he murdered Officer Mark MacPhail, Davis was executed by lethal injection.

A critical function of the courts is to buffer and supplant the howling of the mob, whether it wishes to punish the innocent or free the guilty. In doing this, the only currency of the criminal justice system is its credibility.

The American criminal justice system is the fairest to the accused that has ever existed on this planet. It is also resilient; it should and it can take legitimate criticism of its admittedly numerous deficiencies. Indeed, it has a long and consistent history of listening to, acknowledging and reforming consistently with honest criticism. Too slowly for some, to be sure, but still...

The operative word here is “honest,” and the Doubt Campaign has missed that mark flamboyantly. To criticize the courts fairly is constructive. To gratuitously erode their credibility is destructive and repugnant.

Not only have thousands of presumably well-intentioned people been gulled by the Doubt Campaign, but also a number of worthies who should know better. Drawing just from a recent Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Stephen Bright (Yale) is all aflutter because there have been questions for almost a decade, the whole world knows about the case, Davis has lots of supporters, and some of them are really, really prominent.

Pope Benedict, probably not heretofore widely recognized as an expert on Georgia’s evidentiary law, and unwilling to restrict himself to moral teachings, declared himself on the matter of sufficiency of evidence. Bob Barr and William Sessions are among multiple sophisticated interlocutors willing to trade their credibility on the manifestly false claim of no physical evidence.

Jimmy Carter has put the zealots’ fuzzy thinking (and their lack of actual concern for Troy Davis) on full display by declaring that there’s doubt about his guilt so he should be punished by a life sentence.

I am no fan of the death penalty. If it were abolished tomorrow, I’d be happy. It’s rationally possible to oppose the death penalty as a matter of social policy and still assert that, as applied to Troy Davis on these facts, it is abundantly fair.

But I also think a sufficient case for its abolition can be found in the paradox of delay: we take such care to give the accused every benefit of fact and law that it takes us forever to finish. Not only is this arguably cruel to the accused, it is indisputably cruel to his family and the family of the victim.

A system that has made itself powerless to give effect to its judicial pronouncements in something less than decades should get out of the business of making such pronouncements.

The Doubt Campaign notwithstanding, I know and respect that there are thoughtful people who oppose the death penalty generally, and in this case in particular. It matters not to me whether they ground their objection in moral perceptions (absolute law of God or nature) or ethics (relative degrees of cruel and unusual) or specific facts (shades of culpability).

But I have only contempt for opposition that relies on distortions of fact to advance an argument based on moral absolutes. The debate should be closed to moral narcissists who hold themselves to be exempt from the bonds of truth and the rule of law.

For the past 15 years, whatever the Davis advocates claimed, no matter how outrageous, has been reported by the news media with little if any attempt to report the other side, which was amply aid out in court records.

I admit I didn’t make it easy on reporters, because professional ethics demanded that I avoid public comment on the merits of a pending case. Of course most criminal cases are pending for months or a few years; this one has gone on for 22 years. It’s over now, though; thus I have undertaken here an explanation of the real and the unreal Davis cases which, sadly, appear to be one and the same.

I fear that The Doubt Campaign reached a critical mass such that the appearance of doubt has morphed into doubt itself, that the integrity and credibility of the criminal justice system has been irrevocably sullied, and that in future debates about the death penalty the very invocation of the name Troy Davis will be sufficient to cut off rational discussion. And it has all been so unnecessary.

Spencer Lawton served as district attorney from 1981 to 2008 for the Eastern Judicial Circuit of Georgia, which includes Chatham County.

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It has been very disheartening to hear the national media portray Troy Davis as some innocent victim of the ultimate injustice: death for a crime he didn't commit. Today's main stream media no longer care for the truth, only half-truths or opinions that fit the story they want to spin. So thank you, Spencer Lawton, for taking the time to detail the facts of the case which show beyond doubt that Troy "RAH" Davis was rightfully put to death for the brutal murder he alone committed.

"But I have only contempt for opposition that relies on distortions of fact to advance an argument based on moral absolutes. The debate should be closed to moral narcissists who hold themselves to be exempt from the bonds of truth and the rule of law."

This is a perfect description of the I am TAD crowd such as the t-shirt wearers, Blessed, WillieLance, that imbecilic Kandrasmom, and the rest of their ilk.

For those of the TAD supporters who knew he was guilty but were simply rallying for a pardon or support for the family, rock on!

The truth is powerful! Thank you Mr. Lawton! Your professional ethics must have kept you up nights wanting to scream the real truth to the folks that did not bother to fact check before hopping on the Davis bandwagon!

This is the I Am Troy's grassy knoll. Logic will never enter into their minds. They will never accept anything but what they already believe to be true, no matter how compelling the evidence is otherwise. Thankfully, our legal system doesnt hinge on their fantasies. If they cant read Mr Lawton's column and understand the truth of this case, then they are hopeless.

In 1955 two white men killed Emmit Till; they were acquitted of murder. A few years later, four white men bombed a church killing four little black girls; they were acquitted of murder. Afterwards, a white man killed Martin Luther King, he served his time in prison; no execution. in 1989, a white, unethical cop is killed; the ASSUMED murderer, executed. I'm not being racist, this is pure fact.

I like to think of Jesus as a mischievous badger. Shake and Bake!!!!!!!! don't mess with this nascar lovin pbr guzzlin limousine ridin kiss the girls stealin wheelin dealin son of a gun WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

you are all knowing and wise and have your opinion just like those against TAD/RAH/Nelly. Where did you get your pure fact from Miss Cleo. Oh I forgot you know more than everyone. Just in can you were wondering it looks like they made it right the night your martyr was put to death.

"the ASSUMED murderer, executed. I'm not being racist, this is pure fact."

I don't think anyone said you are racist. You are, however, WRONG. TAD is not the assumed murder. He IS the murder.

That is what is pure fact and is spelled out for you in the article above, in the original; trial, and in the countless, unprecedented number of appeals.

To again quote Spencer Lawton...

"But I have only contempt for opposition that relies on distortions of fact to advance an argument based on moral absolutes. The debate should be closed to moral narcissists who hold themselves to be exempt from the bonds of truth and the rule of law."

The King Prosecutor has spoken. He may know the case, as many people do, but that doesn't mean he knows the truth. He has given his final rebuttal again. Many people knew he would do this after everything was over. He is trying to appeal to the jury of public opinion. The Troy Davis Trial has ended and the execution is over, you may stand down now, Mr. Attorney. You won. That does not mean you were right, but you just won.

What's done, is done. the rebuttal means absolutely nothing to the whole world now. The trial is over, Mr. Attorney. There is no more need for prosecution, so let your own defense rest.

to allow a cop killer to go unpunished to make-up for failed justice some 60 years ago? Don't hold your breath for that fairy tale to come true!
Where is your source for your liable against MacPhail in your prior post?

Lawton you stated, “I am no fan of the death penalty.” Apparently you are speaking about your present feelings regarding the death penalty because August 25, 1989 you were a FAN of the death penalty, “Lawton Will Seek Death Penaly”-http://multimedia.savannahnow.com/media/DavisMcPhail/1989/198908AUG25PENALTYPROTECT.pdf

Nevertheless…Why wasn’t Sylvester Coles interrogated? And from reading some of Savannah Morning News’ older articles regarding this case, both men had the same type of gun. So, why did he immediately become a witness vs. a potential suspect? Let me guess, he arrived to the police station the following day, after Officer MacPhail was senselessly murdered, with a well known private attorney. http://savannahnow.com/troy-anthony-davis-articles-1989

If this case had so much evidence and you did a “superior” job thoroughly investigating this case, you may need to ask yourself- Why did Mr. Davis’ (RIP) case go on so long and left unanswered questions?

You attempted to educate the media via CNN regarding this case and you were very unsuccessful in convincing numerous of people (including myself) that this case didn’t have any doubt.

And in regards to this statement, “Barr and William Sessions are among multiple sophisticated interlocutors willing to trade their credibility on the manifestly false claim of no physical evidence.”

If these two men among other prominent supporters had the courage and were willing to “trade” their credibility by expressing their HONEST opinion after reviewing ALL documents, that should tell you something and the other officials in The State of Georgia.

Lastly, after the witness admitted to lying, Mr. Davis (RIP) should’ve received an opportunity to present his case. There’s a HUGE difference between having an opportunity to present a case and attempting to avoid punishment.

make-it-right, you stated,"Officer McPhail was no saint. His file shows that he was somewhat of a bigot officer."

Yes, you're entitled to voice your opinion but Officer MacPhail (RIP) was murdered trying to help someone. Please don't respond like some of these heartless- individuals, who are rejoicing about Mr. Davis' (RIP) death. If you are Mr. Davis’ relative, I can imagine your frustration viewing some of these comments but please don’t allow it to take away your peace.

The law officials in Georgia is very much aware of their mistake and Lawton is trying his best to clean up their mess (especially after stating a lie-“I am no fan of the death penalty.”)

”Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened.” ~Winston Churchill

Being a layperson to law, I must defer to your legal knowledge but I am not persuaded by the argument you make. Based upon the historical evidence of African-Americans and the American judicial system and African-Americans and the police, lingering doubts for me persist in the Troy Davis case. You cast doubt on the post-conviction recantations, which you stated are obtained "gently and with empathy." The flip side of this coin is how was eyewitness testimony obtained? Was it with fear and intimidation that African-Americans have become accustomed to in their interactions with the police? And the Supreme Court "in an extrememly rare move ordered an evidentiary hearing for Troy Davis to prove his innocence?" How high was that bar set? My problem with this case is not the innocence or guilt of Troy Davis, my problem is with the doubt that remains in his case. If there is an error for the criminal justice system to make and (recent DNA reviews have uncovered a lot of them) why not make the error on the side of life? Mr. Lawton: What if you have executed the WRONG man? The American jurisprudence system is the best there is, but it is by no means infallible; particularly, when is applied to African-American defendants.

Well written article, that says it all! Juz wondering if TD lawyers believe him also. I say this bcuz TD didn't have any valuable witness nor did his lawyers take uh chance puttin those who said he didn't commit the murder on trial. Ummm, mayb if he could've afforded his lawyer, he may have gotten life or life without parole..... just sayin!

dantonsealy , you stated, “Mr. Lawton: What if you have executed the WRONG man?”

That is my question to Lawton as well. He should’ve been certain there were no doubts in this case. But I believe he was so anxious to FORCED someone to accept the responsibility, that he disregarded conducting a “thural” investigation.

As I asked in a previous comment, Why wasn’t Sylvester Coles interrogated? And from reading some of Savannah Morning News’ other articles, both men had the same type of gun. So, why did Coles immediately become a witness vs. a potential suspect?

Once again Lawton, you stated, “Barr and William Sessions are among multiple sophisticated interlocutors willing to trade their credibility on the manifestly false claim of no physical evidence.”

Sir, please be concerned about YOUR credibility and the ATTENTION you have brought from NUMEROUS of people to your state!

It is the uninformed and uneducated that follow the leader. If people would really stop and read all the transcripts they would know Troy Davis was guilty. TAD was guilty of shooting a man earlier in the day with the same gun. This was not refuted by him or his lawyers. Wake up people!

Make-it-right
Did Officer McPhail shoot two people in one day? Did he have an arrest record as long as my arm? Again, you have the facts laid out right in front of you yet you are still blind to the truth!

Like Bigfoot, Roswell, the Grassy Knoll, believers in fantasy will believe what they want, regardless of the facts. Trying to reason with the TADERS is like trying to get water from the moon. Spencer Lawton's column---ignored. A jury verdict--ignored. Appeal after appeal after appeal after appeal after appeal, to every court in the land---ignored. There is absolutely nothing that can be said or presented that will convince them of any guilt on the part of TAD. Now that they have resorted to defaming a police officer and damning our justice system, it only shows their true colors. Funny thing is, if the Supreme Court had stayed and set aside TAD's sentence from death to life in prison, they would be dancing and shouting how grand and honest and wonderful our justice system is. Speaking of Roswell earlier, these TADERS could be from another planet, sort of like Alice In Wonderland.

I like to think of Jesus as a mischievous badger. Shake and Bake!!!!!!!! don't mess with this nascar lovin pbr guzzlin limousine ridin kiss the girls stealin wheelin dealin son of a gun WWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So by your standard anyone who has ever killed a person of a differant ethinc back ground should be put to death? Was it not on the same night that RAH was put to death, a white man was put to death for the killing of a black man. I am a younger white male from Savannah. I do not see race. I see all man by there merits. That is it. Nothing more. You keep bring up what has happned in the past against blacks in this country. Well what about the Irish, the Chinse or for that mater any one who does not look like you , me or anyone else?

The TAD folks are a pathetic bunch. I sort of compare them to the Cleveland Browns fans I used to site next to in the dog pound years ago. They would live and die for their God-like Brownies. They wore big dog faces and hard hats, carried signs and chanted. They loved being in front of the cameras and making sure everyone watched them. Ya see, the desperate, and believe me most of the fans in the dog pound are DESPERATE, have often given up “the dream” and simply grasp on to others.’ They are the remoras and not the shark. I often feel uneasy when the camera shows these crazies at the football games. There is a subtle mockery that the dog-faces just don’t get. But hey, that doesn’t matter, they found their cause, their place, and their team. And, it was a pretty easy thing to do. Ya see, working to become a dog instead of just a dog-pounder would have been too difficult and require too much “effort.” It’s just easier to be a fan, a supporter, someone who has clinged-on like most of the IATDs. Ya see folks, most of the IATDs are simply society’s give-uperers. They jumped on the TAD bandwagon as a last ditch effort for significance, as pathetic as it is.

To all of you TAD supporters comparing the conviction and execution of RAH to other cases, has it EVER ONCE OCCURRED to you that the cases you use for comparison DID NOT TAKE PLACE IN GEORGIA and therefore, do not qualify to be used as a measure of comparison?

Some of you are the most ill-informed and clueless people on the face of this earth!

Seeker, surprisingly I agree with you. Mr. Davis’ (RIP) case should not be compared to other cases particularly Ms. Casey Anthony’s case. In regards to her case, I TOTALLY agree with the jurors’ decision- “there was not enough evidence” to convict her and sentence her to DIE. Despite their personal opinions, the jurors based their decision on what was presented. As well as, the district attorney respected their decision.

An excerpt from a ABC news article,” Casey Anthony Juror: 'Sick to Our Stomachs' Over Not Guilty Verdict”

"Everyone wonders why we didn't speak to the media right away," Ford said. "It was because we were sick to our stomach to get that verdict. We were crying, and not just the women. It was emotional and we weren't ready. We wanted to do it with integrity and not contribute to the sensationalism of the trial."

Unlike Savannah’s law officials, Orlando’s law officials did their jobs with INTERGRITY and allowed the jurors to do theirs as well.

As I shared in a previous comment, Mr. Lawton attempted to convince others via CNN (prior to September 21st ) and he was unsuccessful in the eyesight of numerous of people (prominent & everyday citizens). And if this case had so much evidence and he did a “superior” job thoroughly investigating this case, he may need to ask himself- Why did Mr. Davis’ (RIP) case go on so LONG and left UNANSWERED questions?

”Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened.” ~Winston Churchill

Look all you TAD supporters anyone who shoots a person in the face earlier in the day and then shoots and kills a police officer later that night deserves to die. Justice was served. Officer Macphail deserves to Rest In Peace ,TAD deserves to Rest In Hell.

I accept the fact that you and I will never agree on the TAD case. I base my opinions on this case from far deeper into the case than you've probably ever been. We can agree to disagree on this.

I will state for the record, given the facts that I know of the TAD case, my opinion would remain the same regardless of the race or sex of either the one murdered or the one committing the murder. I totally abhor the fact that so many bring race into this case. It has never once been about race for me.

Jack Alderman, a white man who conspired with another person to kill his wife many years ago was executed near the time as one of TAD's earlier executions was set to take place. I did not know Alderman, but I knew his sister. Looking at his DOC picture that was used at the time, I recognized how much he looked like his sister, who when I knew her was a very nice person. At first I wondered how she felt after all these years that he brother was being executed for his crime. I quickly moved past that because I had also followed that case. Alderman conspired with a friend to kill his wife for a $10,000 life insurance policy. Although Alderman claimed he was innocent, a jury found him guilty and he was sentenced to death. Alderman's co-conspirator was sentenced for his participation, served his sentence and later moved out of state where he committed suicide. Read up on this case. There are some parallels with the TAD case, where both claim to be innocent. The difference in the Alderman case is that the chief witness against Alderman had committed suicide before Alderman was executed and could no longer testify against him. Alderman did not have AI or any other group protesting against his execution even though he had been sitting on Death Row since the 1970's. The sensationalism of his execution didn't exist. His execution was scheduled and carried out on time.

In the TAD case, the so-called recanters never truly recanted their testimony. Davis' attorneys failed to produce most of them for testimony and cross-examination during the Federal Court hearing last Summer. His Attorneys failed to subpoena Sylvester Coles aka "Red" during this Evidentiary Hearing. Why was that? If you really want to have a knowledgeable opinion of the TAD case, you have to ponder these questions.

If you bother to read the actual facts of the case, you may still have the same opinion, that is your right to do so. I have fooled this case since Day 1 and it is my opinion TAD was guilty as charged and sentenced. My only feelings in the final execution of TAD is that it took far too long with Davis' attorneys filing frivolous appeals all these years bringing more pain to the MacPhail family, especially his mother and children.

Because the Holy Father was mentioned and has been throughout this ordeal-

Todays Catholics do not support the death penalty in any case. Same with abortion and assisted suicide. He would have responded the same way in any such case.

Both the victim and the accused are gone now. Nothing can change that. I hope both familys find peace.

To the Troy Davis supporters- If he is innocent; he is OK right now.
If he is guilty of this crime, and was truly sorry in his heart; he is OK right now.

To Officer MacPhail- Thank you for your public service. Its a shame that young cops have to put themselves in further danger working security details off-duty. You gave your life protecting the poor. Someone who had nothing. You knew it was the right thing to do. I know your family misses you, but you will see them again.

Seeker, in regards to Mr. Davis’(RIP) case, I’m COMPLETLEY convinced there's more to this case.

Now in regards to Mr. Jack Alderman’s (RIP), I never heard of him until now, and I just briefly read some information regarding his case. Sadly, but not surprisingly, Chatham County-Georgia allowed ANOTHER man to be executed with so much doubt surrounding his case .

An excerpt regarding the history of his case- "Alderman’s co-defendant, John Brown, a drug addict and alcoholic, confessed to the murder, but then changed his story to implicate Alderman. Brown claimed that he and Alderman killed Mrs Alderman together, and that Alderman promised to pay him for his role in the killing. There was no forensic evidence and Alderman was convicted only as a result of statements provided by Brown."

Wow….The State of Georgia Has So MUCH blood on their hands because of PRIDE!

”Men occasionally stumble over the truth, but most of them pick themselves up and hurry off as if nothing had happened.” ~Winston Churchill